Hemet: Vehicle Struck, Seriously Injured Toddler

By Allen, Flatt, Ballidis & Leslie

At about 11:18 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9th, a vehicle struck and seriously injured a toddler in Hemet. The accident occurred in the 400 block of Mayberry Avenue. The two-year-old girl sustained major trauma and was transported to a local hospital. Authorities are investigating the incident.

“Whether walking inside or outside of a designated crosswalk, pedestrians have rights,” explained California personal injury lawyer James Ballidis, “and, in many cases, may seek compensation from the at-fault driver after an accident causing injury.”

Hemet accounted for 2 of the 40 fatalities and 28 of the 395 injuries suffered by pedestrians in traffic accidents throughout Riverside County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Out of 104 cities with populations ranging in size from 50,001 to 100,000 residents, the California Office of Traffic Safety ranked Hemet 12th for fatalities and injuries among pedestrians under the age of 15, which is a poor score considering that 1st place is the worst.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish a full recovery to the toddler who was struck and seriously injured by the driver this morning.